Improvement in pipe-tongs



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM LOMAS, OE CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOE TO WILLIAM LOMAS a CO., OESAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PlPE-ToNes.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1,941,254, dated August14, 1877; application led February 16, 1877.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM LOMAS, of Cincinnati, Hamilton county, Stateof Ohio, have invented an Improvement in Pipe Tongs or Wrenches, ofwhich the following is a speci tication:

The object of my invention is to construct pipe tongs or Wrenches ofvery simple construction, and in the perfected form capable ofadjustment, so that the bite or pinch of the pinching-jaw may beaccurately located under variations in the size of the pipe to beoperated upon.

My invention consists in combining an adjustingscrew with pipe-tongs,composed of a lever and a link, whereby the bite of the lever may belocated exactly at the point where it will have the best effect on thepipe. I

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my pipetongs in its preferred form.Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a modiiication.

A is the link, and B the lever. The lever may be, of course, in onepiece, of any desired length, but I prefer to make it with a shortscrew-threaded shank, b', on which the user may attach the pipe-couplinganda piece of pipe of a length to suit himself. The lever may either besharpened at the' end b, to bite the pipe, or it may be roughened on itsface, or both, as shown in Fig. 1, to effect a gripe, and itis in everycase provided with an aperture elongated into a slot, which will giveroom for the adjustment of the cross-bar by the screw.

Thelink A has a curved end, @,tot the pipe,

and this may be circular, to conform to one size of pipe, or it may beangular, to enable it to tit different sizes of pipe, as shown. The linkhas also a cross-bar, a', to tit within the aperture C of the lever, andthis crossbar is the fulcrum for the operation of the lever. Theaperture or slot O in the lever is formed by bending the iron b" over,as shown in the two figures.

I prefer to make-the tongs, as shown in Fi'g. 1, with a slot long enoughto give a good range of adjustment, and with a side opening, b3, toadmit the crossbar c', and to provide an adjusting-screw, D, by whichthe location of the cross-bar may be varied, to enable thepinching-point b to be adjusted to suit different sizes of pipes, or topinch at the best point on one size.

It Will be seen that these tongs have but 'one handle for the hands ofthe operator, and

no gripe of the hand to keep the jaws t0- gether is required. Thus thisconstant griping strain of the hands, usual in most Ot' the tongs novi7in use, is avoided.

I claiml The combination of link A a c', lever B G, and adjusting-screwD, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony of which invention I'hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM LOMAS.

Witnesses J. L. WARTMANN, JOHN E. J ONES.

